Cigar-moistener.



PLTENTED NOV. 26, 1907.

0. L. JOHNSON.

CIGAR MOISTENER.

APPLICATION FILED HA3 7, 1908 g Q/MWM ifzfizeawea."

m: NORRIS PITI'RS co., waswmcron. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR L. JOIEINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN GLOSSINGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CIGAR-MOISTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 7,1906. Serial No. 304.664.

Patented Nov. 26, 1907.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR L. JOHNSON,

citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cigar-i Ioisteners, (Case 1,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanymg drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to cigar moisteners and is intended particularl for use in the boxes in which cigars are or inarily sold.

In accordance with my invention I provide a rece tacle having perforated walls,

drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view ofthe upper portion of a box of cigars with the moistener in place; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the moistener of my invention; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the moistener taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing a modification of the lid fastening device.

Similar reference characters are applied to like parts in all of the drawings.

- The side walls of the cigar box are shown at a and b in Fig. 1, the lid being represented at c, the cigars are represented at d d, etc. As indicated in this Fig. 1 the moistener is placed in the upper right-hand corner of the box. The moistener proper comprises a top wall e, a back Wallf and a bottom wall 9, a l of which are preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal. The front wall it and the end walls 1'. and y' are preferably formed of perforated sheet metal of a suitable metal gauze or screen. The absorbent material, such as mineral wool, shown at k completes the receptacle. The front edge of the ower wall 9 is bent up to form a small lip at l and the ends of the bottom wall are bent up in a similar fashion at m and n. These lips, together with the back wall f of the receptacle, form a shallow tray. In using the moistener the entire receptacle is dip ed into water until the absorbent materia is more or less completely saturated and the device is then placed in the cigar box.

The tray above described prevents any water from drip ing from the bottom of the rece tacle into t e cigar box in case the water s ould settle to the bottom of the moistener. proper position within the cigar box it is provided with a pair of sheet metal cli s 0 and p which are attached to the rear wail f of the receptacle and extend upwardly and thence over the top of the end wall of the cigar box and thence downwardly on the outside. One or both of the clips is provided with a catch q in the form of an L-shaped iece of wire having a head 1' at its lower en The right angle projection at the upper end of this wire may be rotated so as to bring it above the lid c of the cigar box, as best illustrated in Fig. 1. This catch revents the lid from springing open, as .the ids of cigars boxes frequently have a tendency to do. The catch rotates in suitable bearings, referably unched out of the spring clip as i lustrated 1n the drawing. In order that the tendency of the ci ar box lid to spring open may not raise with it the cigar moistener, one or both of the clips is rovided with a pointed projection s whic 1 can be pressed into the wooden end or the cigar box with the thumb thislholds the moistener firmly in position. 5;;

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modified form of the catch and means for holding the moistener in place within the cigar box. It consists of an L-shaped piece of wire thaving at its lower end a pointed projection 11. ex-

In order to retain the receptacle in a tending in the same direction as the u per end of the catch, thus when the catc is swung into position to hold down the lid of the cigar box, the pin at the lower end of the catch which passes through a suitable opening in the clip, cuts into the end of the cigar box and thus serves to assist in holding the lid in place. The cutting edge of the pin a is preferably formed at slightly more than a right angle with respect to the rotating shaft of the catch, so that in turning the catch into position there is a tendency to draw it downwardly. The size of the moistener is not of great im ortance, although I have found it preferab e to make it of a size such that the removal of one, two or three cigars from abox will ermit the insertion of the moistener.

WV 'le I have herein shown and described by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a perforated receptacle containing absorbent material, of means for supporting said receptacle from the walls of the cigar box, and a rotatable catch on said supporting means adapted to engage the box cover to retain it in its closed position.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a receptacle having suitable absorbent material therein, of a clip for supporting said receptacle in a cigar box from a wall thereof, and an arm rotatably mounted in said clip for engaging the cover of said box to retain it in its closed position.

v 3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a receptacle having suitable openings and absorbent material therein, of means for supporting said receptacle within a cigar box, anda catch associated therewith for retaining the cover of the cigar box in closed position, said catch being in the form of a pivoted arm adapted to engage the cover of said box.

4. In a device of the class described the combination with a receptacle formed in part of perforated retaining Walls, a tray-like bottom wallfor the receptacle, suitable absorbent material within the receptacle, hooklike cli s attached to the receptacle and adapte to hook over the side or end wall of a j cigar box to retain the receptacle in position within said cigar box, means for attaching firmly the receptacle to the cigar box, and an L-sha ed rotatable catch mounted on one of said 0 ps and adapted to maintain the lid of the cigar box in a closed condition.

5. In a device of the class described the combination with a receptacle comprising top, bottom and rear walls of sheet metal and front and end walls of perforated material, the bottom wall being of tray-like form to prevent the, overflow of water from the receptacle, hook-like supporting clips adapted to support the receptacle within a cigar box from a side or end wall thereof, a catch mounted on one of said clips for retaining the lid of the cigar box in a closed position and a pointed projection on the same clip adapted svaoes toZ-be pressed into the wooden wall of the cigar box to retain the moistener in proper position and to assist in maintaining the closure of the cigar box lid.

6. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a receptacle having perforated walls and containing absorbent macombination with a receptacle having per forated walls and containing absorbent material, of hooked shaped cli s whereby said receptacle may be suspende from a side wall of the cigar box a rotatable catch mounted upon one of said clips and adapted to maintain the lid of the cigar box in its closed position, and means for fastening said clips to. said cigar box wall.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a receptacle having perforated walls and containing absorbent material, of clips for supporting said receptacle from a wall of the cigar box, a pointed projection on said clip for engagement with the box wall, and a rotatable arm pivoted to said clip and adapted to engage the box'lid to hold it in its closed position. v

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a receptacle having perforated Walls and containing absorbent material, of clips secured thereto and adapted to engage the wall of the cigar box, a projection for the clips adapted to be pressed into the wall of the box to securely hold the clips in position, and a rotatable catch mounted upon one of said clips and adapted to engage the box lid to maintain it in its closed position.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a receptacle having perforated walls and containing absorbent material, of clips secured to said receptacle and adapted to engage the wall of the cigar box, an L-shaped catch pivoted to one of'said clips, a wall thereof adapted to engage the box lid to hold it in its closed position, and means upon said catch for securing the same to the box wall when the arm engagesv the box lid.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with 'a receptacle having perforated walls and containing absorbent material, of clips secured to said receptacle and adapted to engage the wall of the cigar box, an L-shaped catch pivoted to one of said clips, a wall thereof adapted to engage the box lid to hold it in its closed position, and a projection onsaid catch for engagement with box Wall when said arm engages the box 12. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a receptacle having perforated walls and containing absorbent material, of clips secured to said receptacle and adapted to engage the wall of the cigar box,

an L-shaped catch pivoted to one of said clips, a wall thereof adapted to engage the box lid to hold it in its closed position and a projection on said catch, said projection hav- 10 ing a cutting edge and being slanted so that the said wall when said arm engages said box lid.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 15 my name this 12th day of Feb. A. 1)., 1906.

OSCAR L. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

OHARLEs J. SCHMIDT, EDWIN G. ANDERSON. 

